Theory Of Seafloor Spreading Description

Hess its major tenets gave great support to the theory of continental drift continental drift geological theory that the relative positions of the continents on the earth s surface have.

Theory of seafloor spreading description.

The motivating force for seafloor spreading ridges is tectonic plate slab pull at subduction zones rather than magma pressure although there is typically. Seafloor spreading theory of lithospheric evolution that holds that the ocean floors are spreading outward from vast underwater ridges. Seafloor spreading theory synonyms seafloor spreading theory pronunciation seafloor spreading theory translation english dictionary definition of seafloor spreading theory. Seafloor spreading definition a process in which new ocean floor is created as molten material from the earth s mantle rises in margins between plates or ridges and spreads out.

At ridges in the middle of oceans new oceanic crust is created. First proposed in the early 1960s by the american geologist harry h. Seafloor spreading theory that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones known collectively as the mid ocean ridge system and spreads out laterally away from them. The seafloor moves and carries continents with it.

Seafloor spreading helps to explain continental drift in the theory of plate tectonics. The motivating force for seafloor spreading ridges is tectonic plate pull rather than magma pressure although there is typically significant magma activity at spreading ridges. Seafloor spreading was proposed by an american geophysicist harry h. This idea played a pivotal role in the development of the theory of plate tectonics which revolutionized geologic thought during the last quarter of the 20th century.

When oceanic plates diverge tensional stress causes fractures to occur in the lithosphere. As upwelling of magma continues the plates continue to diverge a process known as seafloor spreading samples collected from the ocean floor show that the age of oceanic crust increases with distance from the spreading centre important evidence in favour of this process. Mantle convection is the slow churning motion of earth s mantle. In 1912 when alfred wegener proposed that the continents had once been joined together and had split apart the biggest weakness in his hypothesis was the.

Seafloor spreading and other tectonic activity processes are the result of mantle convection. The theory of seafloor spreading the mid ocean ridge is where the seafloor spreading occurs in which tectonic plates large slabs of earth s lithosphere split apart from each other. Convection currents also recycle lithospheric materials back to the mantle. These age data also allow the rate of seafloor spreading to be determined and they show that rates.